1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting apparatus for rotatably connecting two object members of a vehicular seat relative to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior configurations have included a vehicular seat in which a seat back is connected to a seat cushion by a reclining apparatus. The reclining apparatus can adjust a back rest angle of the seat back relative to the seat cushion. The reclining apparatus of the background art includes a ratchet and a guide. The ratchet has a circular disk shape and is integrally connected to a frame portion of the seat back. The guide has a circular disk shape and is integrally connected to a frame portion of the seat cushion. The ratchet and the guide are rotatably combined around an axial.
Poles are provided between the ratchet and the guide for locking the relative rotation of the ratchet and the guide. The pole is supported to be able to move relative to the guide only to inner and outer sides in a radius direction. The pole includes outer peripheral teeth formed on an outer peripheral face thereof. The ratchet includes inner peripheral teeth formed on an inner peripheral surface of a cylinder portion. By bringing the outer peripheral teeth in mesh with the inner peripheral teeth, the relative rotation between the ratchet and the guide is locked.
However, in order to downsize the reclining apparatus, when, for example, an outer diameter of the ratchet is reduced, a wall thickness in the radius direction of the cylinder portion of the ratchet with which the outer peripheral teeth of the pole are brought in mesh becomes thin, or the inner peripheral teeth are reduced. A lock strength of the reclining apparatus can be reduced thereby. Therefore, there is need in the art for a connecting apparatus of a vehicular seat capable of guaranteeing a lock strength thereof even when downsized.